City Hall spy: High price of renaming Tube stations

Friday 5 July 2013 13:12 BST

Has somebody been getting to Transport for London boss Sir Peter Hendy?

He ruled out the idea this week of selling naming rights to Tube stations as “simply not feasible” because of the cost of changing signs and maps. However, it now seems Google Goodge Street, Harrods Knightsbridge or Virgin Euston could become a reality, after Sir Peter told the TfL board: “There’s a price for everything and that price, for this, would have to be very, very big.”

Lib-Dem Caroline Pidgeon, who struck fear into the heart of many a TfL executive when chairing London Assembly transport committee, expects her first child next month, and colleagues have given her a London Underground bib. They clearly expect her to carry on pulverising LU — with mashed carrot rather than waspish words.

Greenwich council has snubbed City Hall cycling czar Andrew Gilligan because he has apparently been too critical of the town hall. Labour councillor Denise Hyland told a local cycling group that although Greenwich would work with Transport for London, Gilligan faced an “irresolvable conflict of interest” as he lived in the borough. Residents are concerned they may miss out on Gilligan’s safety measures — and cash — for cycling as a result.